powerpole connectors???

[t3master#1]

this may be a dumb question..but what do powerpole connectors do??? i got a set when i ordered my battery off of towerhobbies

[bubblejunky]

They stink, that's what they do. Use dean's plugs or no plugs. Power poles are upgrade connnectors from your stock tamiya plugs, but they will fail you when can least afford it. I know people that have had them and had nothing but problems and have now switched all their plugs over to deans.

[malici]

Power Poles are low resistance replacement connectors. I have used them for five years now, and never had a problem. I will say that dean's pluges are good, but they are much harder than power poles to pull apart. If your asking why you need to use them its because, if you upgrade to a modified motor like a 14T or lower your Taniya plugs will get very hot and might melt.

Malici

[old phart]

Deans plugs **** . They are a total pain to solder too, and yeah they can hardly be pulled apart.

Powerpoles rock! They solder together so easy, and the plastic housing can be configured in many combinations and they can be pulled apart and or disaseembled easily as well.

They also claim to have less resistance then the Deans connectors.

The only advantage I see to a Deans is that it is very small, and the Powerpoles are bigger in size.

My $.02 :D

[KIWIRCGUY]

Nothing wrong with Power Poles besides the size of them. I had mine for 10yrs before changing over to the newer GM gold plugs. If the Power Poles feel sloppy after alot of use all I used to do was get a hot soldering iron and melt a U shape into the plastic connectors.

[Leet TC3]

Dean's plugs being hard to pull apart is an advantage, imho. In fact, I try and find a pair that is tight.

You would be surprised how easy it is to have a freaky accident and find that your motor and/or battery connector has pulled apart.

[combones]

That is the problem with powerpoles. They can come apart in accidents. I have yet to have a dean's come apart in the gnarliest accidents. http://www.plauder-smilies.com/square/smoke.gif

[Tokyo Kid]

Take them apart? O_o;
Don't you just put them together and thats it.and when they'r drained just recharge them and use them agian? well not that i know alot about battery and power plugs. :)

-TokYO Kid, LuMInA RaCiNg


http://members.spree.com/sports/tokyo_Kid/1.bmp

[BadRacer]

Powerpoles Rock! Easy to install, and i have never had one come apart from a battery or motor in a accident. Deans are cool and all but i can't solder the wires and make em stay if my life depended on it! I can solder motor wires and make them hold for a long time but with Powerpoles they just make the job alot more easyer!

Yeah they are a little big but i really don't care, iv never had one problem and as far as Deans plugs i don't think ill be trying them for awhile!

Cris

[nrgtrader]

To solder Dean's connectors, you need a vise and alot of heat. Melt some solder onto the tip of your iron and then apply the iron the the Dean's connector. Hold it for 10 seconds or so (adding a little more solder after a few seconds) until you see the solder flow. When the solder flows, you know that they are hot enough to apply the wire. Be sure to tin the wire with solder before you try to solder it on. Once you have a good, hot solder "puddle" on the connector, when you lay the tinned wire in the "puddle", you should see the solder flow between the wire and the connector making for a solid, one piece solder joint.

I have used both connectors with no trouble either way. Powerpoles are a bit cheaper, so I would give them the edge. On the other hand, you may have to replace them more often, so cost may be a wash. Buy whatever is more readily available to you IMHO.

[ 07-18-2001: Message edited by: nrgtrader ]

[Gutter Ball]

I use powerpoles on my batteries and my motors. I just tape the ones on my motors together so they don't come off. I haven't had a battery disconnect YET and I've crashed a few times :) I've only seen a couple of problems with the powerpoles, and those were all due to installation error. One kid took too much coating off his wire and the metal connector just cut the bare wire over time. Another, didn't tin the wire properly and the connector fell off. Overall, great upgrade!

[RustlerBoy]

I love them. They gave me more speed, runtime, and jyust looked better than the Tamiya(aka meltdown) connectors!

[R_C_MAN]

I agree with old phart. Plus, Powerpoles are cheaper. Mine have never came loose in a crash.

[badmeat]

I STILL(!) have the original Power Poles I bought over 6 years ago. I have NEVER had any sort of disconnect. They are cheaper,easier to solder and easier to configure than any other connector out there.
Dean's work fine but for my money it's Power Poles. :D

[BadRacer]

Hey nrgtrader i know where your coming from, and i know how to solder but everytime i do i just look at it as a pain to do....also i do have the right stuff for soldering (high temp iron and so on). I just hate it. LOL :D

The Powerpolls are just easy for me and have never fail me yet. People ask why i don't switch to Deans and i tell em i just like the Powerpolls.....then i get a "are you crazy look". Next time im up to buy new Plugs ill give the Deans a try again, if i don't like em no harm done. I had Deans plugs awhile back when i couldn't solder anything and i guess thats why i haven't went back to Deans. It took me soldering wires to an Old 540 motor to get the hang of it.

[Grizzbob]

If anyone keeps giving you looks about those Powerpole connectors, BadRacer, just send them to me, & they'll likely stop wondering why....I still use 'em, & I think most everyone knows how competitive I am.... :)

[combones]

I've used them all it seems and dean's are the best. MHO.
http://www.plauder-smilies.com/devil/sasmokin.gif

[BadRacer]

LOL Grizzbob! Ill do that.....Next time im out there ill be looking for your car, OSU decals right?

*Cough OU Rulz Cough~~~National Champions Cough*

Cris

[william2001]

The Deans are Ok, Power Plugs are Ok, Tamiya's are junk, hard wiring is a pain........ I've recently started using the Reedy Power Pins (#652) and highly recommend them. The wiring stays very short and neat like hard wiring, but with the convenience of connectors. Super simple but man they work nice, makes the car look great. Just have to make sure you do a good job soldering everything up the first time (soldering them on your batteries is kind of a pain, but you'll only need to do it once). Nothing new or fancy, but they are slick.

[ETS]

I have been using powerpoles for years and have had some trouble with them. However they are much better than the Tamyia plugs. I've always known, though, that the Deans plugs were better and I finally switched over to them and have not been dissapointed. The reason they are better is this:

1. the connecting pins are GOLD PLATED. If the gold plating is done properly
they will provide a more reliable connection. The most relevant factor here is INCREASED WEAR RESISTANCE. That is why they use gold plated connector pins in the most critical components of your computer. Most of your plug-in expansion cards will have gold plated edge connectors because they are frequently removed, just like the connectors in your R/C car. If you ever get a chance to look at the microprocessor inside your computer, you will see that all its pins are gold plated. They do that because that chip is the most critical part of your machine and absolutely MUST be reliable. Gold is expensive, so it is only used in the most critical places. The plating on a powerpole connector will scratch fairly easily and wear out much faster than if they were gold plated.

2. Dean's use a spring in the connector to make it tighter. That is why they are often difficult to remove. However a tighter connection is always a better one and less likely to come apart in a crash.

3. Powerpoles use a plastic shroud around the pins that is much softer than those used on Deans. It is more likely to melt or break.
I have broken them merely trying to re-configure them.

I have been racing with my nephew for years now. I used powerpoles and he uses deans. His car, though inferior to mine ;) , always seemed to have a little more punch and a little longer run time. When I changed over to deans I immediately noticed the difference, even though it was only slight. That slight improvement may make alot of difference when your running a close race.

[bubblejunky]

ETS!!What's shaking homeboy? I'm from little ol' M.I. I've been in Tampa for 5 years now, but go back to BC about once a month to race at my uncle's out on Friday road, ( as well as surf and see family and friends). Dean's rule. I caused a big stink by saying powerpoles stink, and I still think they do. No amount of testimonials would make me change my mind.
:D

[RichieRich]

I like the Powerpoles. Deans plugs are just too darn small for my fingers. Both Powerpoles and Deans plugs will melt if you assemble them incorrectly. Both get the job done better than Tamiya/JST plugs.

If you can tell the performance differences between Deans and Powerpoles then you should be able to feel the sonic ripples of me typing at my computer here in Oakland.

Anyways, it's all a matter a preference. Try 'em both, listen to other racer's input and then stick with what you think is the best.

[old phart]

QUOTE: "If you can tell the performance differences between Deans and Powerpoles then you should be able to feel the sonic ripples of me typing at my computer here in Oakland."

HAHAHAH!! Dang, now I gotta clean up my computer, heh-heh, I read that while I was sipping a soda, LOL! :D

[TUCRACEMAN]

Interesting...Ohh yeah, Rich, I got that graphite battery bar. WoW! I probably corner about 75% better. It's incredible


~Dave


"Looooo Hoooo!"

[ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: TUCRACEMAN ]

[ETS]

Can you guys see the performance difference when you replace older powerpoles with new ones? If you are not that in tune with your electronics then a lap timer may help.

The point being (and I should have explained this in my first post) is that powerpoles work extremely well when they are brand new, but it doesn't last. They begin to degrade almost immediately. Now, the climate you live in could easily be a factor. In Florida, the heat and humidity makes corrosion a serious problem. Guess what gold plating doesn't do! Keep in mind that the silver plating is not pure silver and they don't use pure gold. They are mixed with chemical and metal alloys to enhance conductivity and wear resistance.

dcommerce: How's it going? What a coincidence! I have a nephew who lives in Tampa. He comes and races with me about once a month and I live off Friday Road too! ;)

[bubblejunky]

ets=sketz

[ETS]

"ETS=SKETZ" :D

[bubblejunky]

dcommerce=combones@work

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: dcommerce ]

[TUCRACEMAN]

I've been driving and racing for a while and I cannot see any difference. Also, a lap timer would not help because every lap you take on a track is different. My powerpoles have not degraded a bit since I've bought them and I have never had problem with them breaking.
~Dave

"Hi, I'm Bob, and this here is my place"
"Well it's a wonderful place Bob."

[ETS]

:cool: Well, there seems to be a definite trend developing here. Take a close look at all the members who have come out in favor of powerpoles, and notice where most of them are from. It seems to me that climate may be a HUGE factor here. There has to be a logical explanation for such wide differences of opinion. Note that many have stated that their powerpoles never cause any problems and they don't degrade. Another (from Florida) states outright that they stink. Though, up to now, I have restrained myself (because I considered the possibility that I may be doing something wrong) I tend to agree. They Stink! ....but that may be true only in tropical climates like Florida...
With the trouble I have had in the past 10 years or so with my powerpoles, I cannot imagine anyone saying otherwise.
Note that the majority of Floridians live near the ocean which compounds the problem. I guess that's why none of my LHS's carry powerpoles.